General business

At some stage, those who have built up and are running a business may wish to sell it in order to realise value from it. Or they may wish to exit the business at a particular point in time, e.g. on retirement. This factsheet outlines some key considerations for those thinking of buying or selling businesses which are incorporated as private companies.

Ensuring that you are protected against potential health and safety litigation is a necessary part of managing your business. However, this obligation now carries even greater significance following the recent changes to the law on corporate manslaughter.

Identity fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK. According to Home Office statistics an estimated 100,000 people are affected by the offence every year, leading to annual losses of more than £1.7 billion. A series of high-profile data breaches have fuelled concerns over the scale of the threat, bringing the issue firmly into the public domain.

Many businesses think of their valuable business assets in terms of tangible items such as premises, equipment and people. However there are a whole range of intangible business assets collectively known as intellectual property which can bring you many valuable business benefits. Every business should know how to protect and exploit these rights.

Regulations aimed at preventing money laundering, place procedural requirements on businesses that deal in goods and accept large cash payments. A business is defined as a High Value Dealer where it deals in goods and accepts cash equivalent to €15,000 or more in any currency. We outline the procedures to be adopted.

The financing of your business is the most fundamental aspect of its management. Get the financing right and you will have a healthy business, positive cash flows and ultimately a profitable enterprise. We summarise the means of finance that are available and where we can help.

Every business needs finance - whether it is just starting up or looking to develop and grow. We provide guidance on types of finance available and outline the planning required before approaching any lending institution. What type of finance is best suited to the development of your business, and who should you approach for funding?

When starting a new business, you will no doubt recognise the need for insurance. It can provide compensation and peace of mind should things go wrong but can also represent a significant cost. We consider the types of insurance you may need.

Grants are sums of money awarded, by the government or other organisations, for a specific project or purpose. Generally the amount is not repayable. This factsheet considers if your business is eligible for a grant.

Certain information about a company must be publicly available including, for example, the company’s annual accounts, registered office address and details of directors, company secretary (if there is one) and members. Providing and updating this information has historically been the job of the company secretary. This factsheet considers what information has to be made available and looks at whether a company secretary needs to be appointed.

Spring Statement 2019

Details of the Spring Statement. Our summary focuses on the issues likely to affect you.